Cotton-working machine



Dec. 26, 1944. C, M, ASBILL, JR, ETAL 2,365,793

COTTON-WORKING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ll C11 I'L'L [Ilm INVENTORS C.M.ASB|LL JR. R.C.YOUNG BY /ORNEYS Dec-26, 1944- c. M. AsBlLL. JR., ETAL 2,365,793

COTTON-WORKING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1943 v 5 Sheets-sheet 2 INVENTORS C.M.ASB|LL JR.

`lGXOUNG gra-o. c7 A TORNEYS Dec. 26, 1944. c. M. AsBlLl., JR., :s1-AL 2,365,793

' coTToN-wonxme MACHINE Filed July 17, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 '1.1... l Urn." l

C. R R, OUNG ATT RNEYS Dec- 26, 1944- c. M. AsalLl., JR., Erm. 2,365,793

COTTON-WORKING MACHINE FiledwJuly 17, 1945 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 vENToRs c. .se JR. lEncmrou BY 07.4. Jumf ATTo-lzNEYs C. M ASBILL, JR., El' AL COTTON-WORKING MACHINE Dec. 26, 1944.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 17, 194:3v

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ATTORNEYS -De 26 1l944 c. M. AsBlLL., JR., ETAL 2,365,793/

COTTON-WORKING MACHINE Filed July 17, 1943 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS R. C.YOUNG 'other embodiment the direction of rotation of axes of rotation of the toothed-cylinders,

Patented" Dec. 26, 1944' t COTTON -WORKING -MAC E Clarence M. Asbill, Jr., 1 C. Young, Wickard,

New Orleans, La., Leland, Miss., asslgnors to as Secretary oil Agriculture or the and Ray Claude R.

- United States of America, and his successors in omce Application July 17, 1%3, Serial No. 495,205

' s cams. (on. ro-os) (Granted under the act of March amended April 30, i928; 37d il.

'This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928, and the invention herein described, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Goverment of the United States of America for govermental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon. This invention relates to a cotton-working machine, and has among its objeets`the provision of a machine which will break up large lumps of cotton into nely divided lint; the lint at a relatively uniform rate into a lint due conveyor in a simple manner; which will remove trash and other foreign matter fromqthe lumps of cotton; and such. other objects as will be apparent from the following description, apmended claims, and annexed drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine with some parts broken away and others removed for purposes of illustration;

Figure 2 is a view loo downward on the machine with parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section, operation of the internal pa ts;

, Figure 4 is a diagram showing a belting system for operating the machine;

`snowing the Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on the line t-b of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a view looking downward on anof the machine with certain parts removed;

Figure 7 is an elevation in Figure 6,- with parts broken away;

Figure 8 is a diagram showing a belting system for operating the machine in the embodiment of Figu'res and 7; and

Figure 9 is an elevation of another embodiment with parts remove y i Referring to the embodiment of Figures' 1 through 5, in particular', the machine comprises a suitable framehaving a base il on eachside of which is rigidly mounted an upright i2 and horizontal bars i3, I4, and l5.

A number lil are rotatably mounted in pairs of pillar-blocks 20, 2i, 22. and 23, xed to the uprights l2. Each toothed-cylinder comprises essentially a shaft 24 which will feed of the machine shown of toothed-cylinders IB, l1, I8, and' 3, 1883, as G. 757) of pillarfblocks 32 and it xed to the horizontal bars it andv it, respectively. Each brush-cylinder comprises a cylindrical body 3d with brushbristles t5 secured on its periphery. One brushcylinder is provided for each pair of adjacent toothed-cylinders, and is so mounted-'that the brush-bristles engage4 between the teeth of both adjacent toothed-cylinders to a slight depth.

Means for conveying lumps of cotton into the 'machine to bring them into contact with the toothed-cylinders is provided by an endless feedbelt te, formedfrom spaced-apart slats 3l fixed to flexible beltings it, 39, and dit. 'I'he lumps of lint cotton may be fed onto the feed-belt from a suitable hopper (not shown) placed above the belt at the right hand end of Figure 1.

The toothed-Cylinders are all driven in the same direction, as shown by the arrows in Figure l.. As a lump of cotton is carried against the lowerm-ost toothed-cylinder lil, the lump. is contacted by the teeth and carried upward until it contacts the teeth on the next higher toothedcylinder, which, in turn, carries it upward. Each toothed-cylinder picks a thin layer of cotton lint from the lump and carries the lint around be tween the teeth. When the lump reaches the upper toothed-cylinder, it is carried against a kicker di, which'is rotatably mounted in a pair of pillar-blocks it fixed to the horizontal bars it. The kicker is quite similar in structure to the toothed-cylinders and rotates' in the same direction. The kicker teeth fit are, however, not inclined forwardly, as in the case oi the cylinder teeth, and, consequently, when the lump reaches the kicker it is thrown intocontact with a curved defiector plate IM, forming a ceiling for the machine, and is then directed `back onto the feedbelt. The deiiector plate extends downwardly toward the feed-belt,leaving an opening between on which a number of discs 25, each provided with peripheral saw-shaped teeth 26 inclined toward the cylinders, are mounted, axially spaced by clamping nuts 28.

Brush-cylinders 30 and 3| are rotatably mounted, with their axes of rotation parallel with/the its termination and the feed-belt through which the cotton enters the machine. Due to the motion of the toothed-cylinders, kicker, and feedbelt, a large roll of lumpy cotton continuously 'rotates in the machine under the defiector plate and between suitable side panels and 46. The feed-belt continuously` adds lumps of cotton to replace the cotton removed as lint.

As the toothed-cylinders continuously pick a thin layer from the surface of the roll, the Ipicked spacing discs 21, and held assembled ron theshaft by results in -a wiping cotton lint 'scontinuously' removed from between the teeth by the brush-cylinders, which are rotated in, the direction opposite to that of the toothed-cylindersand `at a greater speed. 'lhis/` tween the teeth, the relativ@ motion between the action of the brush-bristles bef l 'te denver the unt through flue to a farther point of destination without the teeth and bristles being in the direction to prevent cutting of the bristles by the teeth. The brush-cylinders are encased in the manner shown and are provided with outgoing lint nues 41 and The brush-cylinders, because of their rapid rotation, encasement, and position of the lint' ues, act as fans, creating sufcient air current an air blast conveyor use of additional fans, if not too great.

A suitable belting means for rotating the parts is illustrated in Figure 4, in which the toothed cylinder shafts are provided on their projecting ends on one side of the machine with pulleys lit, 5I, 52, and E3, and the kicker shaft with a pulley Et. Belts bil. ab, and al are belted over these pulleys in the manner illustrated. On the oppo the back pressure is site side of the machine, the kicker is provided with a puuey, end a belt sa is' belted over it and another pulley on the shaft of either of the two lower toothed-cylinders. The toothed-cylinders and kicker are thus all driven together in the same direction. Power for 4driving them may be furnished by any suitable means, such as an additional' pulley fixed to any of the shafts and driven by a variable( speed motor (not shown). 'I'he brush-cylinders, which are rotated by power means, such as another variable speed motor (not shown), independently of the means for driving the toothed-cylinders are also provided with pulleys 6d and 6l fixed to their shafts on one side of the machine, over both of which the power belt b2 is belted.

Any other suitalih arrangement for driving the parts toothed-cylinders independently of the brush-cyln inders, by variable speed means for each, provides a fine degree of regulation of the machine.

As shown, the toothed-cylinders are all driven at the same speed, but by varying the size of the pulleystheir speeds may be progressively in-v creased from the lower to the higher ones.l

The cotton lumps, as they are taken from the baled cotton and fed into the machine, contain I some foreign materials, such as sticks, leaves, and so forth. These are loosened from the lumps and thrown back onto the conveyor belt. Due to 4the spaced slatted arrangement, the beltI is perforated, and such foreign material, if in small pieces, falls through the perforations and is collected in a trough 85. Larger pieces are carried over the end o'f the belt and also fall into the trough.y The collected debris may be removed from the trough at regular intervals.

Referring to Figures 6 through 8, the embodiment shown functions in general the same as that shown in Figures 1 through 5. The toothed-a cylinders 10 and' brush-cylinders 1I are, however,

35.1nthe may be used. However, rotation oi the bodiment,

lli fixed on one of the toothed-cylinder shafts and a drive belt 8l coupling the power pulley with a suitable variable speed motor (not shown). The brush-cylinders are all rotated in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation'4 of the toothed-cylinders and at a greater speed by pulleys 82 attached to the lower projecting ends of the brush-cylinder shafts and having belts 8J belted on them. Power is supplied to the brushcylinders by means of a power pulley 8l fixed to one of the brush-cylinder shafts and a drive belt 86 coupling the power pulley with another variable speed motor (not shown).

Lumpy cotton is fed into the machine within the cylindrical space between the toothed-cylinders through the hopper 90. A vertically positioned cone-shaped member 9i, located within the space, serves to direct the lumps of cotton into contact with the toothed-cylinders and a roll of lumpty cotton is continuously whirled in the machine, with its vouter surface held in contact with the toothed-cylinders by centrifugal force.

Lint cotton is brushed by the brush-cylinders and blown into lint rlues 92 in a manner similar to that described in reference to the first embodiment.

Apertures ii3rprovided in the lower portion of member 9| allow egress of any debris contained in the lump cotton, which debris may be collected in anyl suitable container (not shown) positioned underneath the machine, or it may be allowed to collect on the floor and be removed at will.

embodiment of Figures 1 through 5, four toothed-cylinders and two brush-cylinders are used. They. are also positioned with each of the toothed-cylinders and each of the brush-cyln' ders in a row directly above one another. However, it is desirable in some instances, especially where a machine of larger capacity is needed, to

provide a greater number of toothed-cylinders.

and brush-cylinders'. AIn this case, an arrangement of parts corresponding to the diagrammatic showing of Figure 9 is'preferred. In this emeight toothed-cylinders ill, four brush-cylinders I0 I away from them. Other parts', such as 44, 38,

and 65, are similar ,in structure and function to the corresponding numberedparts of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 6.

in this embodiment positioned vertically, with their axes of rotation 'positioned substantially on the circumferences o t circles. Upper and" lower ring-,shaped frame members 'lzand 1l carry pillar-blocks 'Il on their inner surfaces in which 4 Having thus described the invention, what is l.- A cottonlworking machine comprising a plurality of rotatable cylinders mounted adia- 'cent each other with horizontally positioned axes of rotation and all rotatable in the same direction; the other in a row, each cylinder having teeth on its periphery, a horizontally movable feedbelt for moving lumps of cotton into engagement with the lowermoet cylixifder, engage into the lump and remove a portion of cotton as lint and carry the lumpinto engagement with the next adjacent higher cylinder, a deilec,

- tor plate positioned above the cylinders and feedbelt to directlumps of belt, a kicker positioned adjacent the uppermost cylinder for engaging thecotton lumps as they from between the teeth.

and a kicker H02 are em-'l .ployed. Also,` the toothed-cylinders and brushcylinders are arranged in rows on the arcs of This the cylinders being positioned one abovel whereby its teeth.

cotton back onto the feed-f' leave the uppermost cylinder and directingv them into engagement with the deector plate, where- `by e, roll of lumpy cotton continuously rotates in the machine, and means for removing the lint Afrom between the teeth.

2. The'subject-matter of claim 1 characterized in that the feed-belt is 'perforated to provide 5 concave toward the feed-belt.

CLARENCE M. ASBILL, JR. RAY C. YOUNG. 

